


Ties That Bind

by sparkinside (boomersoonerash)



Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, F/M, On Hiatus, Teen Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-10
Updated: 2014-04-16
Packaged: 2018-09-22 12:21:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9607412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boomersoonerash/pseuds/sparkinside
Summary: Taylor and Matilda gave up their daughter twelve years ago but what happens when fate brings her back into their life unknowingly, especially when she might need them the most? Can they ever be a family? Does time really heal all wounds?





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpt: "I grew so used to having her with me for nine months, having her right under my heart," she frowned, reaching up to wipe her tears away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Mattie," Taylor smiled as he looked at his girlfriend holding a crying baby in her arms. "She is so beautiful. You did such a good job," he nodded knowing she had done good giving birth to her. She was eighteen and scared but Taylor had though she had been wonderful, but then again what did he know? He was only nineteen.

Matilda looked over at Taylor, shaking her head, "I still feel like I didn't do that good," she frowned before shaking her head looking down at the crying child in her arms. "She's going to be lucky that she is going to someone who will at least know what they are doing."

After bringing the last part up, Matilda looked away from Taylor. She knew he still wasn't ready to accept the fact that they were giving their baby up for adoption, even if he had agreed to it for her. He wanted them to be a family but she knew they couldn't have made it. They were both too young and they were supposed to be going to college this fall. Taylor majoring in Mathematics and she was going to be majoring in English.

Taylor frowned when Mattie mentioned the baby going to someone else, to someone who knew what they were doing. "We could learn," he sighed trying to sound optimistic. "We could learn as we went along," he nodded before reaching over and taking his daughter from Matilda's arms. "We could learn as we raised Judith."

Matilda smiled some when Taylor called the baby Judith. It had been a name that they both agreed on after reading numerous baby books. A name they had somehow in the past three months convinced Judith's adoptive mother to use. She had been thinking of Sophia but somehow they had finally swayed her towards Judith. Judy for short if she wanted it when she got older, not that they would know as the adoptive mother had chosen a closed adoption.

"We can't Taylor," Matilda told him, watching him hold the baby. "Sue is going to be here to get her in a few minutes. We have to hand her over. We already signed the papers the other day before my water was broken."

Closing his eyes Taylor hated that he knew Mattie was right. Judith was no longer their child. At least not by law. She was Sue's child and Sue was on her way to pick Judith up. Sue and her partner would be raising his and Mattie's daughter.

Hearing the door of the room open, Taylor looked up from baby Judith to see Sue walk in Elsa at her side. They would make the lovely couple for his daughter. They would be perfect parents for Judith andd that killed him.

"How is she?" Sue asked walking over to where Taylor sat with Judith. "How is Judith Olivia doing?"

Taylor returned Sue's smile though his wasn't as genuine, "She is great," he lied offering Judith up to Sue who took her and held her like it was something she had been meant to do all her life. At least Taylor knew Sue would love his daughter it was Sue's partner Elsa he still had reservations about. Elsa always seemed so cold, so standoffish.

Elsa walked to stand behind Sue, "She looks like you," she said eyeing Taylor. "I guess that's a good thing."

Sue turned to look at Elsa, "It's a wonderful thing Ellie," she said as she used her nickname for her wife.

Elsa rolled her eyes before looking down at the watch on her wrist. "We should get Judy ready. We need to catch a flight in a few hours."

Sue nodded and walked over to Matilda, "I wanna take a picture of you and your boyfriend with her," she told her then looked at Taylor, motioning him over with her free hand. Once Taylor was there she handed the baby to them and then snapped a picture quickly before Elsa started to harp again. At least this picture was something Judith would always have of her parents.

After the picture was taken Matilda watched helplessly as Sue took Judith back and got the baby ready to leave. Everything seemed to be going too fast but she knew there wasn't anything she could do. She couldn't stop this and anyway what they were doing was right. They were giving themselves and Judith a life where everyone could be happy.

Once the door closed behind Sue though and it was just her and Taylor alone in the hospital room Matilda felt tears go down her cheeks. "I am going to miss her," she finally spoke as she turned her head to look at Taylor. "I grew so used to having her with me for nine months, having her right under my heart," she frowned, reaching up to wipe her tears away.

Taylor frowned as well, pulling Matilda to him, "We'll find a way to survive Mattie," he whispered before kissing her forehead. He may have said those words but the truth was he wasn't even sure if he believed them himself. Could they be okay? Could they get past giving up their daughter?


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Excerpt: "They will probably tell me to cut back on my smoking."

Judith chewed on her lip as she sat in her bedroom. She and her mother Sue had finally unfinished packing the last of their boxes in their new apartment. They had moved to Tulsa just last week. A move that Judith had been opposed to. She hadn't wanted to move here. She had wanted to stay in California with her mother Elsa but Elsa and Sue had divorced and Sue had won custody. Sue had won which meant that she could move Judith half way across the states and away from the only place she knew.

Looking out the window at the city she frowned. It wasn't anything like Los Angeles where she had lived with her mom's since she was four. It was a city but nowhere near as pretty or as sunny. She just wanted to go back home. She was eleven and she wanted to go back to where she had spent her early years.

"Judy?" Sue asked from the door way. She could tell Judith was lost in her thoughts. "The pizza is here."

Turning to look at her mom, Judith nodded and stood from her bed. "Can Elsa come to visit soon?" she asked as she walked down the hall way. She knew it was huge asking her mom that but well she hoped her mom would say yes. She was hoping if Elsa came that she could talk Elsa into going to court and fighting for her.

Pausing when Judith asked the question about Elsa coming to visit Sue frowned. She wasn't sure what to say to that. Elsa had willingly given Judith up. She had told Sue during the divorce that Judith had always been her child and that she never even wanted her. She had just agreed to take her because it would make Sue happy. Sue had never told Judith this though because she knew it would crush her. Judith clearly loved Elsa and Elsa had never even felt the same in all their eleven years of raising her.

"I can call her and ask," Sue lied as she started to walk again, following Judith into their kitchen where the pizza was. "She'll probably bring Kit with her," she said referring to the much younger woman that Elsa had cheated with. The woman whom had broken her marriage though the marriage had already been frayed before that. Kit was just the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Judith made a face as Sue mentioned Kit. Kit was the woman Elsa had started dating after the divorce though whether anyone wanted to admit it or not Judith had a suspicion that Kit had been around longer. It had just been too quick for Elsa to have met her and got with her.

"Tell her not to bring Kit," Judith muttered as she walked to the pizza boxes and opened them. "Please," she frowned as she grabbed a paper plate and put her pizza on it. Going to to the kitchen table she sat down and watched as Sue joined her. "So I start school tomorrow right?" she asked feeling a little nervous. This would be her first time being the new student and new students always had hard times fitting in.

Sue smiled as she nodded, "You do start school tomorrow. Edison Middle School," she informed her not sure if Judith remembered the name. Judith was still growing accustomed to this place. Sue had already grown accustomed because she had been making trips out here for the past year when the divorce started. She had wanted to move here to get a fresh start. "You start school and I have my doctor's appointment."

Raising an eyebrow as she took a bite of her pizza Judith waited until she swallowed to speak, "Doctor's appointment?" she asked having not known Sue had a doctor's appointment. "Are you sick mom?"

"I'm not sick," Sue lied knowing that she very well could be sick. She hadn't been feeling well for months now and she was worried about it. She had wanted to get things checked out just to ease her worries. "It's just a check-up," she smiled. "They will probably tell me to cut back on my smoking."

Judith nodded though she wasn't sure if she believed Sue. There was just something about her face that made her uneasy. "If you say so," she nodded not wanting to tell her that she had her doubts. "D..do you know anything about my teachers?" she asked wanting to change the subject. "I mean you've been to the school to get my schedule and the paper with the stuff I'd need."

Sue smiled feeling thankful that Judith had changed the subject, "Well Judy I do know that your math teacher is a young one or so the secretary at the school says. I didn't get to meet him though because apparently he was out of town when I went. His wife's father had just died and they were out of town but the secretary assured me he'd be there tomorrow for you to make googly eyes at. She swears all the girls there get their first crush on him."

Judith made another face as her mom described her math teacher, "I think boys are still gross mom. I mean that's why I turned down Elsa trying to get me a date to that wedding last month. Boys are just icky."

Finishing her pizza Sue stood from the table, "You keep thinking that Judy and I'll never have to buy a gun and run those boys off one day," she joked as she took her paper plate to the trash and threw it away. "After you get done eating you need to get ready for bed. You have a long day tomorrow," she said before exiting the kitchen and heading down the hallway towards her room. Before she went to bed herself she wanted to get some more of her birthday gift to Judith done.

Judith watched Sue leave and she soon finished her pizza. It was after she finished that she did take Sue's advice about getting ready for bed. She showered quickly then changed into her Hello Kitty pajamas before heading back into her room where she crawled into bed.

Reaching under her pillow she pulled out a worn photograph and looked at the people in it. It was a baby picture of her with her birth parents. The only picture she had with them and one Sue had given her on her seventh birthday. Since then Judith had looked at it every night before she went to bed. It was her way of saying goodnight to the people who had given her up so she could have a better life and right now she did have a better life but that still didn't stop her for feeling just a bit angry. As much as she loved her mothers Sue and Elsa a part of her would always wonder why she had been given up. Why her parents had felt the need to just give her to total strangers even if it was better.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Taylor sighed to himself as he crawled into bed beside his wife, "I am so not ready to go back to work tomorrow," he laughed knowing he had kind of liked being off even if it had been for his wife's father's funeral. "Sometimes those kids drive me crazy."

Closing her book Natalie looked at Taylor, "Correction, it's the girls with their first crushes that drive you crazy," she smiled as she laid her book on the bedside table. "And the fact that you have to work with your ex-girlfriend," she said referring to Matilda.

At the mention of Mattie, Taylor nodded knowing that she was one of the reasons he found work crazy. He and Matilda had dated all through high school and even through all of her pregnancy but it was during college that they had went their separate ways. Matilda had met some new guy and cheated on him and Taylor well Taylor had held a grudge against her for that and also for giving away Judith.

But at least the cheating had led to something good for him. It had lead him to Natalie who was now his wife and the mother of his two children Dixon and Maggie.

"You may have a point," Taylor conceded knowing that Natalie was right. "But let's keep that our secret," he laughed as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the cheek then her neck. "I love you."

Natalie smiled as she turned some her lips moving to Taylor's own lips. "I love you too," she muttered into the kiss. As much as she hated that Matilda worked with Taylor she was glad that she was out of the picture. She was glad Matilda had messed things up because that lead Taylor to her. That lead her to her husband and the father of her children.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Mona I really don't think I should have a third drink," Matilda muttered as she shook her head. Her roommate Mona had brought home Chinese as well as a pack of beer. Matilda wasn't much of a drinker but it was a Sunday and even though she had to teach a bunch of sixth graders English tomorrow she had agreed to drink.

"Oh come on Mattie," Mona sighed as she rolled her eyes. "A third beer isn't going to hurt anything I promise," she smiled as she opened the beer for Matilda and handed it to her. "Drink up."

Taking the beer from Mona, Matilda took a drink forcing a smile, "I don't know why I agreed to move in with you. I mean you dress all innocent but deep down you are just a party girl and a bad influence on me."

"You moved in with me because things with Grant went bust after college and well your plans of reuniting with Taylor if that ever happened got ruined when he married Natalie back in 2005 because she was pregnant with their first child," Mona smirked knowing that she would push Matilda's buttons.

Listening to Mona's recap Matilda knew it was all true. The moment she had cheated with Grant and the moment she had chose him over Taylor she had always thought that if things had ended then she would be able to get Taylor back but that idea had been ruined when Taylor had started dating Natalie just four months after their break up and then it had been ruined even more when he had married her. A marriage that had made Matilda sick because that should have been her. She should have been Taylor's wife hell she was the mother of his first child.

Thinking of her child with Taylor, Matilda frowned. She had always seen them giving their baby away as the inevitable down fall of their own relationship. She had never felt like Taylor loved her the same and that's why she had turned to Grant. That's why she had cheated.

Not finishing her beer she put it on the coffee table, "I think I am going to bed early," she fake yawned before heading down to her bedroom. Shutting the door behind her she climbed into bed and pulled a picture off her nightstand. It was taken when she was eight months pregnant. It was her and Taylor standing beside some tree. He had his hands on her stomach and they were both smiling and happy. That should be them now but it wasn't. They weren't smiling and happy at least not together anyway.

Taylor might have been happy with Natalie but Matilda wasn't happy. Matilda still was sad. Sad that she had ruined things, sad that she had given her baby up. Sad that she was almost thirty-one and she had no other children. Something she could never see herself doing. She had one baby and though she never got to raise her that was all she needed.


End file.
